The Arrangement
by TheHGfanlovestheHG
Summary: Katniss Everdeen, a girl from the Capitol is sent to Panem for marrying a war veteran named Peeta Mellark as an arranged wife. Peeta is blind and has a prosthetic leg and loves Katniss sincereley. Will Katniss stay with him and help or leave him hopelessley
1. Chapter 1

Katniss POV

I get off the train as I take a huge breath and think… _This is where I am going to start my new life._

It is November and very chilly. I take my luggage in one hand and hug my jacket tightly to my small, fragile body tightly. I know this is what they do to the people who don't have any really use with just spending their time idly in the Capitol home which I have been brought up. They give you place to stay, food to eat and dresses to wear but when you reach the age of 25, you are forced into a marriage with your boyfriend else you are signed to marriage contract and if no one accepts us, example me, you are signed to marry old, crippled man or an differently abled man.

_That was exactly what happened to me. Off to some unknown place so called Panem to marry a blind guy with a missing leg._

_*Flashback*_

"_Look Effie, no one has accepted my marriage proposal yet and I am sure no one will, so why keep torturing me?"_

"_Surely there will be one guy to accept you and why don't you try in a different site maybe someone is interested there."_

_Effie was planning to send me out of here at any cost and she would do anything. She kept doing this since I turned 25. 5 months of pure torture and yes, she did enroll my name in a stupid site called 'Want someone who takes care of the amazing you?' but I never knew there was someone out there to take me but what surprised me was he was not old. He was at my age. Effie squealed as she showed it to me._

_Name: Peeta Mellark_

_Age: 25_

_Occupation: Previously worked at the Marine coast of Panem, presently working at the family bakery._

_What is your Problem: I missed my leg and my eyesight in an accident_

_To you, my message: I would love to have some company here as I feel very lonely here. I promise to be a good husband and a friend to you_

_Great! I thought. Effie is going to send me all the way to Panem to accept this proposal. She had already called and got that address of whosoever that Peter or Peeta was._

"_Here is the address Katniss, we have told them that you have accepted his proposal. He was very happy about that and liked your video very much. Be blessed to get someone at your age group. You will be leaving in 2 weeks to Panem"_

_Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye. It was the day I needed to leave Capitol. Though I never liked Capitol Home, I never have hated it that much. The effect it had on me; I never noticed until I left it. I cried though and never wanted to go there. I came here 20 years ago when my parents died when I was just 5. I was left here and I have grown here since. I never had any friends. I was actually anti-social or at least what Effie, my guardian thought. Effie came to escort me in the railway station with tears in her eyes washing all her make-up she was wearing_

"_Take good care of yourself and your new family. You can return here when you need. I will not force you to stay there if you don't need to be there. We can cancel your contract if you need to. Call me regularly ok and I will miss you so much."_

_While she was she was saying this, even I was crying. Effie is like my mother though I don't remember not much about my own but I still own one of my true parents silver locket._

"_I will miss you too" I say and give her a hug and the next thing I know is that the train is moving._

_*End of the Flashback*_

I get out and see that Panem is far better than Capitol. No weird people with their weird clothes and weird stuffs but I never picked up that style and Panem was at least according to my taste.

I go out, read the address, get into a car and I head to the home,

_Dare I say my future house…_


	2. Chapter 2

Peeta POV  
>Okay, deep breaths gonna help. I am nervous about who is the new girl or soon to be my wife is. I never really knew there would be someone to take me. She seemed too sweet and responsible in her video and count that I could not see. I just heard her voice. Mom said she was very beautiful with brown hair and grey eyes and said she had a caring and a loving and a and a lot more about her. I am too excited yet nervous to meet her. She could be here any moment.<p>

"Come, let's get you ready Peeta. You should look presentable when Katniss comes." Mom said lovingly.

She stayed with me since my incident in the navy and took care of me. Dad refused to come, Wheaton and Bannock had their own work and family so they too did not come except they come to visit us during vacations. Mom runs the bakery attached to our house and we make a good profit in it because we are the only bakery in our surroundings. Mom takes care of me as well as the bakery and in desperately in need in help. I feel guilty for making her stay here but she would not listen whatever I say. I too get money from the Panem Marine Company to support me for a month because I was at a good position in the navy.

Mom adjusts my shirt and gives me a pat in my shoulder encouragingly. "She is a good girl Peeta. You are luckey to get her. Why don't we go and see her and …" but my mom was cut off by the doorbell ringing. She took me by my hand and led me to the bed and said

"Be kind and get a good impression on her. She will definitely like you by the passing days"

"Guess so" I say. First I hated being a burden to mom now to Katniss. _Why can't be alone_ _where_ _I_ _am_ _independent?_ I feel trapped here and being like a baby dependent on mother and now Katniss for everything.

I hear a commotion outside the door and the sounds get closer and the door opens. Two pairs of footsteps, one familiar belonging to my mother and the other one is Katniss, I guess.

"Hey, Peeta, I am Katniss Everdeen, well, Katniss Mellark, nice to meet you" she says softly with a hint of shyness in her voice. It was so soft and I guess she is offering a hand but I awkwardly held out my hand, stiffening my posture. She however takes my hand and gently shakes them

"Good to meet you Katniss"

"Well I will leave you both alone for a while. Remember about it Katniss, please"

"Sure" she said softly and I hear my mother's footsteps fade. I feel Katniss sit in the bed as the bed shifts slightly.

"Look Katniss, I am sorry. I have probably wasted your life by this damn marriage but you should know this is your choice. You could either be here or leave me. I am leaving the cho…"

"Shh…" she says cutting me off.

"Stop saying this. I want to be with you and that is why I am here. If you sign this, we will be man and wife. We could live together. You have a prosthetic leg and your mother said me that an alternate for your eye is being searched and then you would be yourself again and then why worry about it?" she still did not finish yet

"I don't want to hear that from your mouth, you hear me?" she said her voice slightly lifted and I nodded my head.

"Good, now let's sign our contract and let me call your mom."

She left and then I was lost in my thoughts. _Was_ _she_ _really_ _doing_ _this?_ _Why is she wasting her life for me? Is she trying to take my money or is it her own self?_ I kept thinking but I decided to take the latter because she sounded too good for me and then I decided that I will do my best for her.

I only hoped that eyes come fast so that I could see the angel who is giving a real meaning for my life.

She was back with my mother and she sat in the bed beside me. She gave me some papers which I assume to be our contract papers which she slightly shakes it.

"You gotta sign here."

"Um… where?" She takes my right hand in her soft, warm hands of her and keeps it in a place in the paper where I am supposed to sign. I sign somewhat awkwardly not even knowing whether I signed the paper or the pillow which she kept the papers.

'Well, welcome to our family Katniss Mellark" my mother said and I realize that she had been crying. Katniss whispers a soft thank you and shakes my hand softly which I hold reassuringly.

"Everything's gonna be alright"

"Everything's gonna be alright"

My mom takes the phone beside the bed and calls dad, Wheaton and Bannock and said the news and invited them for a dinner in our house after a week. She and Katniss had a conversation about inviting them for a dinner and Katniss doesn't seemed to mind but I hear the edge in her tone probably due to nervousness yet she accepts it.

Wheaton, being the eldest of the Mellark brothers, is married to Delly Cartwright and has a 4 year old son and a 2 and a half year old daughter but I got to see them both. I am 'Uncle Peeta' for Luke and 'Uwencle Pweetie' for Laurel. Bannock is engaged to Madge Undersee and they are not of planning their marriage anytime right now.

We have small talks and I get to know about her more now. She lost her parents at 5 and was brought up at a home with her guardian. She is very anti-social and has very few friends. She never had a relationship with anyone which surprises me. Well I am first. She is a medical student and works at the local hospital and now let her job for me. She promised to learn baking for my mother to help her. Soon, the atmosphere turned from awkwardness to friendliness. Katniss and my mother had their conversations very easily and she went well along with me.

Soon we headed to eat our dinner and usually, my mother arranges my table, chair, plate and dinner but today, a pair of different pair of hands does it. I tense and see only Katniss was doing it.

"Easy Peeta, it's only me"

We had our dinner and mother had given me my nightclothes to change on. Fortunately, I learnt to change my clothes, use the washroom and to eat without any help and thanks to my teacher who helped with these courses earlier.

Katniss had a different room but before going to sleep, she thought I was asleep and whispered in my ears

"Good night Peeta. You will sure have a good future ahead and you don't know how you could change this anti-social Katniss to like you so soon."


	3. Chapter 3

Katniss POV

_Seriously was that you Katniss? Did you just say that you like him? Was he really awake when you said that? You need to stay here and that means make him trust you. Yes, you saw a small curve in his lips. Yes he did smile when I said that._

Yes, he is the person who trusts everyone so easily. My place is assured here until I make everyone here trust me. Mrs. Mellark or she asked me to call her Lily Mellark was not bad and Peeta, he was not bad himself. He was quite good looking with his blonde hair and his facial features if you don't count his eyes. He said that his eyes were blue but some part in me wants to see his complete face with his blue eyes.

As I go inside my room, I realize that it was true when they said that they were from a well to do family. I never had these features for my own when I was in the Capitol. Well, no one had but this room definitely surpasses the rooms there in Capitol with the most ridiculous stuffs.

Plain white room with beautiful paintings in the wall. A king sized bed with shining cloth called the velvet which Effie had a dress covers the whole bed. A small table lamp yet beautifully covered with deep orange hue light coming out of that light. A big closet which could easily fit 10 times my own closet back home. I just owned 6 pairs of dresses with 2 party dresses fortunately good looking and 3 pairs of work dress. Since my husband was a rich man, Effie had got me more dresses from Cinna, who was once a patient in my hospital whom I had cared for.

There was an attached bathroom and a hanger for hanging the clothes and a cream colored carpet covering the whole room. I can't help but having an instant liking towards this room.

I go inside the bathroom, have a shower, take off my braid and go to the room and think about my future which was to be destroyed and now where I was supposed to be lying with Gale or Cato, I am lying here all alone with my so called husband sleeping in the next room.

I definitely miss them. Well though Gale had used and threw me, Cato was different. Didn't I love him but he, just went with Clove. Well I felt guilty for saying Mrs. Mellark that I never had any relationships with anyone but I really was trying hard to control my tears when I signed the papers. I tried saying them that I was excited and was sorely lacking in beaus and they believed it yet the real reason was that I was thinking about my wasted life with Gale and a fake relationship with Cato. If both were good for me, I would have never been here.

I touch the locket hanging in my neck, press a gentle kiss to it and whisper "I hope this would not be like the ones before"

_I am standing in a living room not Capitol homes and definitely not Peeta's home but somewhere else. Then I realize, it is Gale's house. Gale comes up to me and takes my face in his hands_

"_What do you mean that you will not to that Catnip? Is that why I asked you to be my girlfriend? Why aren't you giving me the only thing I want?"_

"_Gale you aren't asking something that could be given. You are asking my virginity. How could I give that to you?"_

"_You have to give that. I know what I want and I also know how to take that from you"_

_Gale comes closer and every breath he blows on my face, it reeks of alcohol. His gray eyes are bloodshot and he is in a disoriented state. As he comes closer, he places his hands on my arm and slurs_

'_Catnip are you coming or should I drag you?'_

"_Whatever happens Gale, I am not coming with you. I should have believed when Bristel said about you. She was right when she said that she was a victim of your games. I will never do that, not in my lifetime. You lied to me Gale, you are a liar"_

"_Come Catnip, come with me"_

"_Noooo…" _


	4. Chapter 4

Katniss POV

I wake up from my nightmare, screaming and thrashing around in an unknown bed… well, I do know it. I am in Peeta's house.

Lily comes up to my room and comes inside and sits next to me and speaks softly

"Shh,it's okay, its okay… um well" she says hesitatingly and takes my hand in hers and gives a reassuring squeeze to it.

"Don't hesitate to tell me anything okay. We are a family now" she says. Well, according to her, I am her daughter-in-law when I am still not used to be in this house let alone consider them my family.

She pushes out the hair in my forehead which has been matted into clumps because of the sweat so sweetly like how a mother would do to a child who is crying. After minutes of silence, in her presence, I feel very comfortable. She had definitely got this effect on me.

"Freshen up yourself and join us for breakfast and can we go and wake Peeta up. He would like it so much if you'd go and look at him"

"Ok, fine"

We get up and head to the room across me where the door is slightly ajar and there lies Peeta, his blond hair falling in his forehead, his striking face features giving his handsomeness off. I would call him that he was hot and handsome if had been my old, romantic Katniss not the one broken by fake relationships and a forced marriage to a guy who couldn't even see how I look.

Cold air blows inside the window which was kept wide open even in cool months and he lays covered in blankets like he was waking up for another day.

I go closer but let Mrs. Mellark take the lead. It is still weird to go near him and it makes me sick to the stomach.

"Morning son" she coos gently as if he were a 5 year old kid

"Mom, is it real? Did a girl really come to brighten up my life named Katniss?"

"Real. She is here. Look she is standing here" what she is saying is meaningless because he can't see.

"Then is that real that she was screaming"

"Yes, she had a nightmare"

Worry is sketched all over his handsome features and he sees, well randomly somewhere left to me as if speaking to the air hurriedly

"Oh my god. Are you alright Katniss? Is everything fine" his voice lowers as he continues

"That nightmare was about me, right"

"No, it was not about you. It was well… um about my parents who died when I was a kid. Their nightmares still haunt me"

"Oh" is all he says and it makes me feel like being hit in the gut about lying to them but what else should I do? I should stick up to them until they have me and use the maximum time possible so that I don't need to live like a burden for Effie and this could help me forget my past.

_But slim chances…_

"Why don't we get ready for the day?"

"Sure mom"

helps Peeta out of the bed and helps him to the bathroom. There is the sound of water running and shuffling of feet and appears.

"I never thought that this would be his fate. He deserves to be living a great life not like this sitting in the room and me helping him for the rest of my life. He feels too insecure and different. I want you to help me with that. Maybe, after they somehow repair the nerves in his eyes, he might really like you." This only makes me feel worse than I have been. This kills me. If she keeps on going about this, I am going to breakdown and accept the truth. I stare at her and she has a very dark expression in her face and it takes just some of these innocent words to just get me to the core of guiltiness.

_Do they really have any idea on how these words have an effect on me?_

"Mom"

"Coming" she says and gives me a small, sad smile with a very unhappiness in her blue eyes

_Maybe even Peeta has such blue eyes too_

I get to the room which I stayed at night which is officially my room now and take a shower. I take on some of the regular dresses which I used to wear and wear one of them and braid my hair. I take the silver locket of it and run my fingers through it. It shows a bird called the mockingjay taking flight but inside it is the picture of my parents about whom I remember very little.

I go down where is helping Peeta on his dining table.

"Hey, morning Peeta"

"Hey Katniss" he says randomly in the direction where my voice came from and I have seen him doing this often.

"Why don't you join us for breakfast?"

"Um… I see why not"

I sit near Peeta and take my own while I let set up for Peeta and help him. Soon, we are ready and we begin. Halfway through our meal, I notice that Peeta is struggling to eat. His hands shiver wildly and he barely makes a spoon to his mouth. had to constantly go to him and help him. Sometimes, she sees me that I would help him but no, it is only one day. Impossible. I just try to act as if I never saw the process which was going on near me. sees me at times and tries to catch my eye but I avoid it deliberately and her face shows understanding and hurt.

Add this to the list of miseries caused by me to the Mellark household in not even 24 hours.

Breakfast is done. Though I never helped Peeta today, I know that I just wanted to gain their trust and since I don't need anything but be normal, I don't need to do anything so I just try to avoid him as much as possible and speaking would only result into something stupid like send me back and more of sadness for his already dark life.

_I must be the angel of their 'Bright Future' but instead, I am being the angel of darkness._

I help her clean and dry the plates whereas Peeta is sitting in the couch where she left him playing with a piece of fabric which came out of his shirt.

"I know you need some time to adjust with this place but it doesn't make any harm visiting the bakery. You need not work but just see what we do in our day to day life" she says.

"This can't hurt" I say

** is very kind in this story and I made like this because she could be apt for the story because mothers are more caring to children than others so is OOC.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I am so sorry In the last chapter, the word MrsMellark kept vanishing God knows why!**

Katniss POV

took me to the bakery situated just to rooms away from the kitchen and opens the door which connects the house and the bakery.

A big room which is as big as the living room is filled with the aroma of dough and gives some kind of pleasant feeling to the room. There is a door which I supposedly thinks leads to the bakery kitchen while the main room has a large countertop next to which are chairs and there is a main entrance door and a display window with beautifully frosted cakes and cupcakes.

"Since you were coming yesterday, I thought that it wouldn't be ideal to open the bakery in the morning since the morning rush is quite huge"

"When does the morning rush start?"

"It starts around 7 in the morning. Office-goers and many other farmers, work persons and people who use bread as their breakfast come here in the morning and some regular customers"

"Can you teach me to cook so that I could help you because you were saying that you needed some help here and I think I could help you?"

"Sure Katniss, you can learn everything slowly. First I thought it would help me to keep me busy but since it became a huge hit in this locality, it has become a big headache for me" she says and gives a small chuckle.

"Peeta says that once his operations are done, he would not go back to the marine company since it has already taken a lot from him so he is planning on taking over this bakery and continue this" she opens the kitchen door as she says this and there are rows

Rows and rows filled with lots of products used for cooking. Yeast, sugar, syrups of different kinds and lots more. Down sits many sacks of flour and other things without name used for cooking and baking. In the side, there is a big oven while in the other, there is a table probably used for frosting and kneading dough. Two chairs, one big and the other small sit near the table

"Here is where we will be working. Since Peeta is down to do anything he sits here and we speak here about general topics and sometimes, we even speak to the customers. He generally sits here and speaks while I do the work. He obviously can't help but I enjoy his company and he won't feel lonely. Since you offered to help here, he uh maybe will be up there"

"It's okay if he comes here"

"But he is quite tired today. Yesterday, we went for the monthly eye checkup and he was making great improvements but that made him quite tired so I let him sleep today so that I could talk to you more personally"

_Personally?To kill me out of guilt?_

I think I might have some weird look on my face since he continues speaking

"No, just a small intro about my family and the present"

She goes out to one of the shelf and takes some dough and applies some flour on them and starts kneading it. She draws a huge breath as if to begin a big story and starts

"My family was huge. I married Peeta's dad when we were 18 and so soon Wheaton was born. Two years later, our second son, Bannock was born. We thought life was perfect until 6 years later, Peeta was born.

Wheaton was an athlete. He loved sports and that's where he met his sweetheart, Delly who was the cheerleader. They were high school sweethearts until they grew old to get married and made me a grandmother" she says with the chuckle and pushes the shaped dough into the oven while I sit in the chair.

"Do you need some help?"

"I'm fine you could help me soon but take your own time" I smile as she continues

"Bannock was a well-known prankster and even well-known famous for his childhood crush on our neighbor Madge. They dated since she broke up with her boyfriend who dated her only for a week. They were really good and recently, they got engaged"

"Peeta is one of a kind. Since a very early age, he developed a liking towards art and got culinary skills from his father. Even back then, he loved to do something for the country so he applied himself for marine industry.

"He spends 3 months there and when once when he was there, a terrible gas leak from the base of the ship made all the workers dizzy. Being the one on guard, while trying to alert everyone, he suffered severely from the gas which affected his eyes nerves badly. When he returned, the doctor informed us that he could not see but there are chances that his nerves in his eyes could be repaired so that he could see again" She says and wipes of a lone tear which escaped her eye. Hearing to this, I feel worse than ever. Outside, I showed a very sad expression but inside I was crying for betraying such a very nice family.

Rest goes very soon. Peeta sleeps the whole afternoon. says that he needs some rest. Bakery opens very late but customers keep coming and there is always one customer or the other but I linger inside the living room and the bakery kitchen since is known by all and speaks to everyone while I can't speak to them freely.

Evening comes as I sit in the living room and ponder over Peeta's situation. Sad, broken. That is how I feel. Not good. Definitely not good. I must help him however I can before leaving instead of breaking his heart. She leaves me alone since she is giving me the time and space which I need.

In the night, when is bringing Peeta to dinner today, I know one thing. I will help him in all the ways I can.

As he sits down, I help him as I did yesterday which was unexpected for both Peeta and since she looks surprised, happy and looks very content. Peeta himself is beaming which shows off in his facial features.

One look at the mother and son and I know I have did the right thing.


End file.
